Oiling device for deep well pumps



' Sept. 17, 1935. MYERS 2,@M,66l

OILING DEVICE FOR DEEP WELL PUMPS Filed June 2, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l3 ama: G. M ers 7 Avforney Sept. 17, 1935. T. G. MYERS 2,014,661

OILING DEVICE FOR DEEP WELL PUMPS Filed June 2, 1930 2 SheetsSheet 2 Myew s en for I Afiorney .Z'nv Thom as Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE by mesne assignments, to Food Machinery 001'- poration, San Jose, Calif., a corporation of Delaware Application June-2, 1930, Serial No. 458,970

8 Claims.

This invention relates to deep well pumps, and especially to a device for supplying lubricant to the long vertical shaft that operates the pump in the-well.

. It is now common to provide a. source of motion, such as a vertical motor at the top of the well for rotating the pump shaft. Such vertical motors ofcourse can have their bearings readily supplied with oil, because they are easily available; but the pumpshaft, extending deep into an earth bore, cannot be so readily treated. Attempts to pass oil. continuously down along the shaft are not practicable; the oil thus supplied passes through into the bottom of the well and is wasted during periods of inaction of the pump. Of course, a manually operated oil dripper could be used to supply oil down the shaft only when the pump is operating; but it is. obvious that the operator mayforget or omit to operate such a device, and thus the shaft would be operated dry, with its attendant bad effects.

It is. one of the objects of my invention so to arrange mattersthat the supply of oil takes place without manual. interposition, and only whenthe pump. is operating.

It. is another object of my invention to secure .these results by the aid cfa. simple and inexpensive device, that can be arranged to. pass oil from either, of the oil reservoirs. at the top or bottom .of the motor.

My invention possessesmany other advantages, and hasother objects which may be made more easily apparent. from. a. consideration. of several embodiments of my invention. For this purpose Ihaveshown afew formsin the drawings accompanying and forming a part of. the present specification. I shall now proceed to describe these forms in. detail, which illustrate the general principlesof my invention; but it is to be understood thatthis detailed description is not tobe taken in a limiting sense, since the scope of my invention isbest defined by the appended claims.

Referring tothe drawings:

Figure. 1. is a sectional view of a pump head and electric motor in which. my invention is incorporated;-

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of an- 4 other form of my invention;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of a portion of the. structure shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig.4 is an enlarged detail. 7

In. Fig.. 1 there is shown a shaft H which ex- 7 tends downwardly into'an earth bore, and is guided: bythe. aid of'a. series of bearing bushings l2,

tions 21 keyed to. sleeve' 24.

secured to the inside of a pipe casing l3. Only a portion of a bushing 12 is shown, but it is to be understood that there area number of such bushings spaced axially along the depending casing l3. The liquid pumped from the bore is 5 passed through a pump head structure l4, having a discharge openingil 5.

This head structure I4 can also conveniently serve to support a vertical motor structure I6 as by a flange l1. It can also support the top section 10 of casingl3, as by the aid of a hub I8, and a collar i9 threaded to. the top of the casing [3.

Since my present invention is not concerned with the particular details of the motor structure, this structure will be merely generally out- 15 lined. It comprises a three part frame, including a base section 20, an intermediate section 2 l and a top section 22. The top section 22 carries a cover 23 of bell form, to protect the motor against the weather when exposed. The motor windings 20 are shown as supported respectively in section 2| and on a rotatable sleeve 24. The stator windings 25 are appropriately supported in laminations 26 in section 2|; and the rotor includes the lamina- In the present arrangement, shaft H is axially adjustable in sleeve 24 in which it is located, as by being threaded at its upper end. A nut 28 engages these threads and can be fastened to a member 29. This member is keyed t-o shaft ll 30 and is dowelled as by pins 30 to a flange 3| keyed to sleeve 24, and held tightly in place by clamp nuts 32.

The upper section 22 of the motor frame has a horizontal flange 33 provided with a central 5 hub 34 that clears the sleeve 24. Supported on flange 33 is a ring support 35 for accommodating the outer, stationary race 36 of a ball bearing 31. The inner race 33 is fastened on a depending ring 39 of flange 3|.

In order to provide an oil well for maintaining oil around the ball bearing 31, I secure a tube 40 into hub 34 and extending upwardly into ring 39 and to about the level of the oil to be maintained. Thus oil can be supplied to a space or 'well defined in general by this tube 40 and the outer wall 41. of the race support 36, and an oil pipe 42 can be used to supply oil to the space, through appropriate passageways lead- 7 ing into the oil well.

- At the lower end of motor l6, another ball bearing, such as 43, can beprovided. The stationary race 44 is supported in a tubular member 45, shown as formed integrally with the flange 46 that extends across the bottom frame section 20. The inner race 41 is fastened to a depending ring 48 of a member 49 keyed to sleeve 24. This member 49 overlies the upper edge of member 45 so as to prevent any oil from spattering out. A nut member 58 is threaded on the ring 48 to keep race 41 tight against a shoulder on member 49.

. In this case, an oil well or reservoir is formed by the tubular member 45, and a hub formed integrally with flange 46. An oil inlet pipe 52 can be used to supply oil to this well. Hub 5| passes up into the depending ring 48 and above the oil level so as to prevent oil from passing down through the hub 5|.

I arrange matters in such a way that the rotation of shaft H will serve to secure a supply of oil by gravity into the top of the casing I3, Where it will distribute itself to the various bearing sleeves such as I2. I utilize gravity for this oil feed, through a pipe connection 53 extending to the top of casing I 3, and including a manually set regulating valve 54 for controlling the rate of flow when conduit 56 is opened by the action of the motor. To produce the oil flow, I utilize a valve structure leading into the oil well and arranged to be normally closed when the pump is not operating, but which is open at least for part of the time when the shaft ll rotates. This valve structure is preferably such that the momentum or friction of the oil in the well due to the motion of shaft l I, serves to unseat a valve closure, which reseats as soon as the motion ceases.

In order to accomplish this, I provide an oil valve structure 55 fastened in the bottom of the oil well, as by being threaded therein, and having a passageway 56, connected as by pipe 51 with the manual valve 54 and oil supply line 53. The top of this structure 55 forms a valve seat for a gravity valve closure 58 (Figs. 1 and 3) such as a ball valve. When the oil moves circularly in the oil well due to the rotation of shaft II and its associated parts, it produces a force sufficient to agitate the ball 58 and to allow oil to drop by gravity into the passageway 56. Although not absolutely essential, the swirling action of the oil can be enhanced by a series of depending paddles 59 on nut 50. A ball cage (Fig. 3) can be used to prevent the ball 58 from being carried laterally off its valve seat. This can be accomplished by providing a strap 60 that is fastened on the side of member 55, and a cross strap 6| fastened on top of strap 60 and depending over the ball 58.

The pipe 51 can be led out from section 20 through appropriate passageways to the valve 54.

The operation of the device is apparent from the foregoing. While the pump is inactive, the ball 58 interrupts the flow of oil to the casing I9. When shaft ll rotates, the ball 58 flutters on its seat, and permits a gravity flow from the oil well or reservoir. When the shaft ceases to rotate the ball seats itself by gravity, interrupting, or nearly interrupting, the flow of oil. If for any reason, it is desired to interrupt the oil fiow permanently, as when repairs or removal are needed, valve 54 can be manipulated to accomplish this result.

It is not essential that the lower oil well be used as a supply of oil to the lower portions of shaft II. In the form shown in Fig. 2, the upper oil well is used for this purpose. In this form, the top frame section 62 of the motor carries a flange 63 forming the bottom of a well. The outer wall of the well, as before, can be formed by the support 64 of the stationary race 65, and by the tube 66 projecting into the depending flange 67 of the rotating ball race sup-' port 68. The nut 69, holding the rotating race 15 in place can, if desired, be provided with a 5 number of paddles 1| to agitate the oil in the well to unseat the ball 58 on member 55. This member leads the oil by gravity through pipe 12 to a manual valve 13. Thence pipe 14 can be led downwardly into the top of shaft casing I3.

Another advantage of this type of oiler is that it may be made to permit a very light flow at all times as for example, a drop an hour when the shaft is not rotating, and permit a rapid flow when the shaft is rotating. The advantage of permitting a light flow when the motor is inactive is that the small flow of oil keeps the shaft from rusting, and the bearings have some lubrication when the motor is first started.

I claim:

l In a device for supplying lubricant to bearings from a reservoir associated with a rotatable shaft and above the bearings, a conduit for the lubricant leading downwardly from the reservoir, and aball valve in the reservoir checking the passage of lubricant from the reservoir to the conduit, and adapted to be unseated in response to the motion of the lubricant in the reservoir when the shaft is rotating.

2. In a device for supplying lubricant to bearings from a reservoir associated with a rotatable shaft and above the bearings, a conduit for the lubricant leading downwardly from the reservoir, means forming a valve seat in the reservoir for the conduit, and a gravity valve 010- sure for the seat, for checking the passage of lubricant from the reservoir to the bearings, and arrange-d to be unseated by the momentum of the lubricant in the reservoir, which lubricant is moved by the operation of the shaft. 0

3. In a device for supplying lubricant to bearings from a reservoir associated with a rotatable shaft and above the bearings, a conduit for the lubricant leading downwardly from the reservoir, means forming a ball valve seat in the reservoir for the conduit, a ball valve closure operating by gravity and cooperating with the seat, for checking the passage of lubricant from the reservoir to the bearings, and means acting when the shaft is rotating, to set the lubricant in the reservoir into motion to unseat the valve.

4. In a device for supplying lubricant to bearings from a reservoir associated with a rotatble shaft and above the bearings, a conduit for the lubricant leading downwardly from the reservoir, and a mechanism in the reservoir, checking the flow of lubricant through the conduit from the reservoir, and active to permit flow of lubricant in response to the movement of the lubricant in the reservoir, set up by rotation 50 of the shaft.

5. The combination as set forth in claim 1, with the addition of means operated by the shaft for producing a large movement of the lubricant in the reservoir.

6. The combination as set forth in claim 2, with the addition of means operated by the shaft for producing a large movement of the lubricant in the reservoir.

7. An apparatus for controlling the flow of 70 oil comprising an oil chamber as a source of supply, a freely movable ball valve in said chamber and a plug and valve cage in an integral unit for controlling the position of said ball valve with rotary means for agitating said lubricant to move said ball laterally from its seat and permit a flow of oil through said valve.

8. In a device for supplying lubricant to separated bearings along a shaft from a lubricant reservoir above said bearings and associated with and serving to lubricate said shaft, a conduit for the lubricant leading downwardly from the reservoir to the first bearing and a normally closed valve mechanism in the reservoir for controlling the passage of the lubricant through the conduit, said valve mechanism including a closure member active to check the flow of lubricant during all periods when the shaft is stationary and having movement to permit the flow of lubricant when said lubricant is agitated by the Iotating shaft.

THOMAS G. MYERS. 

